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Maybe its time for online business to grow up

by pro money
21 replies
For a long time I believed that "online was different" and that we didn't need to accept any of the normal rules of business. We'd put something on the web and Magic Internet Dust would come along and make up for our total absence of business knowledge.

"Leap, and the net will appear," was the mantra.

That sort of worked for awhile, but it doesn't work now. If you don't have a solid understanding of who your market is, how they'll find you, and what problems you solve for them, it's now "Leap, and the floor will appear."

So focus on what does work now, and has always worked.

Provide value. Solve actual problems. Uncover what's bugging people and fix it for them.

The real Steve Jobs sells beautiful, easy-to-use, loveable tools that make his customers' lives better. If Fake Steve Jobs wanted to make money, he would have had to do some work to figure out how he could do the same.
#business #grow #online #time
  • Profile picture of the author C G
    Agree. Most people new to the online world think that they can just setup a blog/website and people will magically come.

    The same rules for business offline applies to online.

    Cheers,

    C.G.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    This is why I concentrate on solid business fundamentals.

    Technology changes. Shiny objects come and go. But the basics of business don't change.

    People chase the shiny objects, which are almost always a symptom not a cause...a tactical bit of the solution instead of the strategy to get them there.

    Then they have one little piece of the puzzle and wonder why it doesn't work.

    AND it keeps them chasing other shiny objects--"As soon as I get my website up it'll work"..."OK as soon as I get my email list running it'll make money"..."Now I see, as soon as I get this video plugin it'll work"..."Oh wait NOW I get it, as soon as I figure out copywriting I'll make money"...it never ends.

    Get a strategy in place based on solid business fundamentals. Pick your tactical solutions AFTER that, because now you'll understand what you need and where they fit in...instead of grabbing after shiny objects as they pass on the roulette wheel.

    Get a revenue target.

    Develop a revenue plan. How are you going to earn that target?

    Develop a consistent sales process. How are people going to go through your funnel to become attracted, qualified, and sold?

    NOW you can start looking at specific, technical methods of execution.
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    • Profile picture of the author pro money
      Originally Posted by Jason Kanigan View Post

      This is why I concentrate on solid business fundamentals.

      Technology changes. Shiny objects come and go. But the basics of business don't change.

      People chase the shiny objects, which are almost always a symptom not a cause...a tactical bit of the solution instead of the strategy to get them there.

      Then they have one little piece of the puzzle and wonder why it doesn't work.

      AND it keeps them chasing other shiny objects--"As soon as I get my website up it'll work"..."OK as soon as I get my email list running it'll make money"..."Now I see, as soon as I get this video plugin it'll work"..."Oh wait NOW I get it, as soon as I figure out copywriting I'll make money"...it never ends.

      Get a strategy in place based on solid business fundamentals. Pick your tactical solutions AFTER that, because now you'll understand what you need and where they fit in...instead of grabbing after shiny objects as they pass on the roulette wheel.

      Get a revenue target.

      Develop a revenue plan. How are you going to earn that target?

      Develop a consistent sales process. How are people going to go through your funnel to become attracted, qualified, and sold?

      NOW you can start looking at specific, technical methods of execution.
      Thanks bud
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  • Profile picture of the author Complex
    [DELETED]
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    • Profile picture of the author pro money
      Originally Posted by Complex View Post

      Most online businesses HAVE grown up. I don't get where you are coming from. Look around at internet start-ups that are now worth $ 100 million or better. They aren't the same as folks selling ebooks to a list. Yet they are internet based businesses.

      Tell them to grow up and they'd be like ...

      ???

      The world's bigger than what you see here. But to be part of that other world, you can't talk like you just learned yesterday what they already knew 10 years ago.

      As a SoCal psychologist might say ...

      Projecting much?
      I also dont get where YOUR coming from.. I don't think your getting the point here. Let me brake it down to you in a simple way. All im saying is that it's harder for people to start a good business in this niche if they don't know there market well enough. It obviously comes down to experience thanks for your reply though
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  • Profile picture of the author iangh
    I think many people failed online because they didn't enter with the same mindset and work ethic as they would if setting up a brick and mortar business in the past but there is no excuses now with the vast amount of information online.

    I do believe more people are now getting much better information and do understand that you can't just throw a blog or a website up and expect riches over night.

    People are getting much better information from marketers who have become easier to find thanks to social media.

    I am seeing many newbies to internet marketing taking there new business very seriously and getting off to great starts and growing in confidence every day.

    People are much more savvy online today. I think you may be underestimating many people but I do understand what you are saying in your post.

    All The Best.
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    • Profile picture of the author pro money
      Originally Posted by iangh View Post

      I think many people failed online because they didn't enter with the same mindset and work ethic as they would if setting up a brick and mortar business in the past but there is no excuses now with the vast amount of information online.

      I do believe more people are now getting much better information and do understand that you can't just throw a blog or a website up and expect riches over night.

      People are getting much better information from marketers who have become easier to find thanks to social media.

      I am seeing many newbies to internet marketing taking there new business very seriously and getting off to great starts and growing in confidence every day.

      People are much more savvy online today. I think you may be underestimating many people but I do understand what you are saying in your post.

      All The Best.
      Yup i believe you truly got the point in what im saying here! Thanks for your reply also.
      All The Best for you too buddy
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    For a long time I believed that “online was different” and that we didn’t need to accept any of the normal rules of business.
    So you were accepting abnormal rules, or what??
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  • Profile picture of the author EnlightenMarketing
    Originally Posted by pro money View Post

    For a long time I believed that "online was different" and that we didn't need to accept any of the normal rules of business. We'd put something on the web and Magic Internet Dust would come along and make up for our total absence of business knowledge.

    "Leap, and the net will appear," was the mantra.

    That sort of worked for awhile, but it doesn't work now. If you don't have a solid understanding of who your market is, how they'll find you, and what problems you solve for them, it's now "Leap, and the floor will appear."

    So focus on what does work now, and has always worked.

    Provide value. Solve actual problems. Uncover what's bugging people and fix it for them.

    The real Steve Jobs sells beautiful, easy-to-use, loveable tools that make his customers' lives better. If Fake Steve Jobs wanted to make money, he would have had to do some work to figure out how he could do the same.

    Well Said my friend
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  • Profile picture of the author dhgytjq1
    Banned
    Wow good words thanks well said
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  • Profile picture of the author Mark Singletary
    What relationship to user View Profile: dhgytjq1 do you have since you both have the exact same signature. Do you have 2 accounts? I see that the other user is giving you praise in your thread above.

    What are you trying to do here?

    Mark
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Originally Posted by pro money View Post

    For a long time I believed that "online was different"
    Pro Money,

    Therein lies your problem . . . and the problem of many other newbies to Internet business.

    Online business is only different because it employs a different delivery mechanism than all the brick mortar businesses are constrained by - physical reach and delivery.

    But many of us on this forum have been preaching for a long time that successful Internet business requires the proven and time-tested principles of regular business in all that we do.

    We have often alerted newbies to what you call "the Magic Internet Dust."

    Online business requires that the owner pay attention to a myriad of small but important details . . . especially value for the audience.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author discrat
    EDIT : Maybe its time for online business Marketers to grow up



    - Robert Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author EPoltrack77
    yeah most believe I feel that there is no or little work involved and you can make money while your mind is in other places. Better off playing the lotto....

    BUT

    By taking the time and learning from other successful people and how they think not so much as to what they are doing and apply that to our own business and thats when you can start to reap the rewards.

    It all starts with out thinking not so much circumstances and events...
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    Working to achieve higher results...
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